Drinking three cups of coffee a day can dramatically reduce a person’s risk of heart disease, new research has claimed.

Scientists claim the caffeine brew is full of antioxidants which protect the brain and heart.

The latest findings pooled the data of more than one million people and found women, in particular, appear to benefit most from coffee’s heart boosting effects.

One death every seven seconds

Cardiovascular disease claims the lives of more than four million Europeans every year, amounting to one death every seven seconds.

But the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said the study by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee should not be taken as a “green light” to drink it in large quantities.

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Maureen Talbot, senior cardiac nurse at the BHF, said: “It is important to remember that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is what really matters if you want to keep your heart healthy, not how much coffee you drink.

“While this study may suggest that drinking three cups of coffee a day could offer some protection from heart and circulatory disease, it shouldn’t be taken as a green light to drink lots of caffeine.

“Good heart health is down to a multitude of factors such as eating a balanced diet and taking regular exercise. We know this.

“But more research is needed to fully understand how coffee affects our cardiovascular risk, and the role it may or may not play in maintaining a healthy heart.”

Not as applicable to young people

A review of previous studies found a few cups of coffee a day made deadly heart attacks and strokes 21% less likely.

Three to five cups a day produced the best results, with the greatest risk reduction achieved at the lower end of this scale.

Higher quantities were associated with a smaller reduction in total mortality, reports the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee.

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The research is funded by major European coffee companies such as Illycaffe, Nestle and DE Master Blenders.

The authors advised younger people should avoid heavy consumption, adding the finding should be assessed in older populations.

The findings were presented at a meeting of the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation and were released to coincide with World Heart Day which took place on September 29.